Is my withdrawal bleed colour normal?

[Juliaho90]

Hi there,

I am on Yasmin for almost 2 years now.
I had my bleed last weekend which lasted for about 3 to 4 days. It started on Saturday afternoon and ended on Tuesday with just some brown discharge. It started off with some spotting on Saturday and it gradually got heavier on Sunday and lesser on Monday and ended on Tuesday. Today it’s Wednesday and I am still experiencing some slight brown discharge which I assume it’s normal? It’s really little, it takes up less than a quarter of a pantry liner. Is that normal? I didn’t experience this in previous cycles

My question is that my bleed has always seem to be a dark brown colour and sometimes occasionally it will be bright red when I wipe but on my sanitary pad, it always look dark brown. Is this normal? I assume that this is my withdrawal bleed and not implantation bleeding as I got it when I was expecting my withdrawal bleed to come? How does one differentiate between implantation bleed and normal withdrawal bleed?

[Urna]

Hey!

Brown vaginal discharge is perfectly normal, it is just old blood that's taken a little longer to leave the uterus. Blood that stays in the uterus longer gets oxidized, which makes it look dark red/brown. Bright red blood means it's fresh.

Implantation bleeding typically only lasts 24-48 hours, not 3-4 days like yours did. Also, implantation bleed is super light and black/brownish/pinkish throughout, not just near the end of the cycle.

[Juliaho90]

Thank you! I am not sure why I am still having a slight brown discharge now although I am already in day 2 of my new pack of pills? I haven’t experienced this so far and I have been taking my pills for 2 years now and this is the first time I am still having discharge on my pills. I assume that is normal too?

[Sam W]

Hi Julia,

Yes, even when you've been on the pill for awhile, it's possible to have a withdrawal bleed that looks or arrives a little differently than normal.

Going forward, I'm going to ask that you not focus your conversations with us on examining or seeking reassurance about every slight change in your cycle or body; it seems to be feeding the anxiety you already feel around pregnancy and your birth control method. If you want to talk about other topics, like trying new methods of birth control you might feel more comfortable with or addressing more of where those anxieties might be coming from, that's something we can do.

[Juliaho90]

Thanks Sam!

One last question I have, is it safe for me to get the covid 19 vaccination if I am on Yasmin pills?

[Sam W]

Yes, it is safe to get the Covid-19 vaccine while on the pill.

[Juliaho90]

Thank you, I am schedule to get mine next week. Which is the same week as when I will get my withdrawal bleed. Do you know if the vaccine affects withdrawal bleeds or periods?

[Emily N]

There hasn't been much research about the effect of the vaccine on periods or withdrawal bleeds, but it seems like any reported changes are minor or could be caused by many other factors. But if you do experience changes or a little unexpected bleeding, it's not too surprising!